Butcher s steel



(No Model.)

T. W. STONE.

BUTUHERS STEEL.

Patented Ma 12, 1885.

l'nven tor:

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICEQ THOMAS W. STONE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BUTCHERS STEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,591, dated May 12, 1885. Application filed January 6, 1885. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Butchers Steels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in butchers steels where a sharpening-steel and file are embodied in the same piece of steel; and the objects of my invention are to provide a combined butchers steel and file in one piece of metal tapering toward both ends, and simple in construction, and adapted to facilitate the sharpening of knives or other edged tools. I attain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved steel, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 00 as of Fig. 1.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the body of my improved steel, which is formed, as shown, of one piece of metal, and tapers conically from its centerto a point at its ends. The half a is provided with a serrated or file surface of any desirable design, while the half I) is provided with a smooth surface common to all butchers steels. This steel is made to pass through a nut, c, to the center of the steel,said nut 0 being adapted to fit rigidly thereon. This nut is preferably of rubber, but may be made of other suitable material.

It is well known that the edges of knifeblades and other edge-tools in frequent use gradually wear off, leaving the cutting-edge of too great thickness to admit of it's being properly sharpened by the use of the steel only.

By my invention a few strokes of the knifeblade against the half a in the well-known manner of sharpening knives on steels operates to cut away the superfluous thickness of the blade. Then, by reversing the steel end for end and applying the blade in the usual manner, a sharp even edge is soon attained.

During the operation of sharpening the knife the steel is held near its center,with the hand resting against the nut c thereon and on the side opposite from that portion of the steel which is being used, the nut thus acting as a guard against accident and allowing the hand a firmer hold on the steel.

I am aware that butchers steels have been made of a conical bar of metal having some of its sides serrated between other intermediate smooth portions, and that other butchers steels have been made of a smooth conical bar at one end, a handle at the opposite end, and an intermediate portion provided with wings mounted upon a light rod passing through the handle, and I do not claim butchers steels constructed in this manner.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A butchers steel consisting of a bar of metal tapering from its center toward both ends, and having a rough or file surface on its half a and a smooth surface on its half I), and a central nut, a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

THOS. \V. STONE.

Witnesses:

JACOB SCHAEFFING, JOHN M. TAYLOR. 

